Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-31

J 800 foCrth-clas oIices, which are filed at
the pleasure OF the Postmaster General:
NbOu: ,20G OF these have been changed, ana
OF he 800 remaining the emolumeEts are so
small that the Offices are not desirable. Ac
cOlC!ng 10 our lnforma II these changes,
however justifable many of them NAV have
been in themselves for reasons OF offensive
part isanship. have Beeu made largely at the
instance of members of Congress. whose mo-
tive in selecting incumbents has been proved
by the partisan activity of the officers selected.
There can be no doubt of fragrant disregard
IN Indiana of the spirit and methods of civil
service reform, There has been substantially
a Clean sweep and we have not found that
one officer newly appointed in that State,
who proves TO he an offensive partisan, has
been for that reason removed.
such facts seem to us to show clear viola
ton OF the moral engagement made with the
country.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
In the Department Of State while, as we
nave seem the removals in Washington nave
been 10 per cent. in the classified service the
changes in the foreign service have been ap-
parently about Is per cent, a statement
which shows sincere regard for sound prlncl-
pies or the public service. In the Depart
ment Of Justice up to June 80, 1886 the changes
IN the unclasslfied service within the Presi-
Dental appointment were ll6 out OF lSO, or
TO per cent, the removals were 90, the resls-
nations %, and the number OF officers VINO
were not reapponted was SO. The changes In
the offices filled by the Attorney General
removals were l6, and the designations
were 20, But the number of designations by
request, which are equivalent to removals, IS
not stated. In the interior Department there
are 81 Presidential offices, Of which 1927 have
fixed term of four years. The total number
of changes up to Oct l, 1886, was 26S. or Il
per cent. The removals were IS, or y per
cent. OF the total number of Offices; the deaths
were 2, or n of l per cent. The number of
incumbents of offices having a term Of four
years who were not reappOinted at the end OF
their terms was 6J, or 20 per cent.
THE PERCENTAGE OF REMOVALS.
IL will be observed from this review that
Whlle the removals in the Classified depart
mental service, which includes $3.50 persons,
amounted to Gu per cent in the first fifteen
months OF the administration, the percentage
in the rest OF the service, which includes
about 100000 places not affected by the rules,
was very muoh larger. The first class, how
ever, cRuDot be fairly assumed to show the
proportion Of all removals that onght TO have
been mnds for VALID reasons, because Ii is
confined mainly TO clerksb ips in Washington.
while the second GLASS embraces the various
branches OF me OWL service throughout the
county, including the post ONCE, in which
the pubic interest undoubtedly demanded
many changes. But conceding the proprIeLy
of such removals the percentage Of changes IN
the unclassned service seems 10 be too large
to justify the conclusion that they were gene
rally made with sole regard to the public in
terests.
AN IMPORTANT FACT.
These facts show that the course of the ad-
mlnlstraton In regard to appointments. re-
movals and suspensions has been Irregular,
inconsistent and sometimes inexphcable. 1t
has not adhered intleXibly to a uniform policy,
and in many branches of the service, and es-
peclaliy I'm the States of Indiana and Maryland
it's conduct has greatly disheartened many
friends Of reform. In other parts of the
country, as in the city of New York, and in
New England, It's chief appointments have
been generally so excellent as to command
public respect and confidence. Indeed, the
strong hold of the reform upon the public
mind is shown by nothing more plainly than
by the fact that popular opinion is most
favorable to the administration wherever the
administration has shown itself most faithful
to reform.
On the other hand the returns OF the late
elections show that where patronage was
most largely used to promote partisan ends
the losses of the administration party have
been largest.
PROGRESS MADE.
Tried by the standard OF absolute fidelity to
the reform as 1t is understood by this league,
it is not tobe denied that this administration
has left much to be desired. But upon the
showing of this report which has neither
concealed nor eXtenuated the most injurious
facts, If our estimate of the situation be Just,
the administration under enormous dsad-
vantages and perpleXitles has accomplished
much for the reform of the civil service.
Whatever just disappointment may have
been felt. it is undenIabe that the old
''spOils system" has been seriously shaken.
Never before since the partisan prostitution
OF the civil service began has the middle of
the term of an administration found the nom
political places in that service distributed be-
the dministratlon upon this subject, there
fore, Will be watched with profound interest
as determining the final public judgment of
its relation to civil service reform.